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Montana man charged with murder in death of ND passenger

BISMARCK, N.D. — Authorities have charged a Montana man involved in a crash on a North Dakota highway with kidnapping and murder.

John Bridges, of Missoula, Mont., is accused of killing 40-year-old Lee Clay, who was a passenger in a van that Bridges was driving. The 42-year-old Bridges was scheduled to make his first court appearance in Bismarck Monday afternoon.

The Highway Patrol says the van crashed and went in the ditch off Interstate 94 just east of Bismarck on Friday. Clay was found dead in the vehicle.

Patrol Capt. Kyle Kirchmeier called Clay's death suspicious because his injuries “didn't match the crash severity.”

The Bismarck Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/ORCHnc) that Clay had a Bismarck address, but recently moved from Georgia.

The newspaper says court documents offered few details about the case.